


Lingering

by Umbri



Series: Lightning is a Dick [1]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS
Genre: Angst, Gen, Implied Yuusaku/Ryoken, Lightning Possessed!Playmaker, Sorry Not Sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-04
Updated: 2019-03-04
Packaged: 2019-11-09 09:33:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,168
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17999327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Umbri/pseuds/Umbri
Summary: Lightning has taken both Kusanagis hostage, offering to release both in exchange for one simple thing from Playmaker...





	1. Lingering

**Author's Note:**

> This is basically my first fic so go easy on me please ;~;  
> I’ll give the chapters names once I come up with something clever enough.  
> Based on a conversation with Discord friends  
> (Written before episode 91 preview)

_It’s such a simple decision_ , he thinks, staring at his duel disk.

“What’s wrong, Playmaker?” Lightning asks, almost mockingly, seated on Jin’s shoulder with his tiny legs crossed. “The program, or their lives. It’s up to you.”

_It’s so blaringly obvious._

“Don’t worry about us,” Kusanagi calls, despite the clear worry and semblance of regret in his eyes. “You can’t give up that program. You need to win this, _Yuu_ —Playmaker!” Lightning hums in interest at his slip, but it’s only a fleeting concern to Yusaku.

“But Kusanagi-San!” Ai cries, almost hopping out of the duel disk if it weren’t his only safe spot. “Playmaker-Sama,” Ai turns to face him. “We can handle him! But we need to make sure Kusanagi-San and Jin get out of here safe!”

“ _Don’t!_ ”

“ _PLAYMAKER!!!_ ” “ _-SAMA!!!_ ”

_Just hand it over._

Yusaku feels overwhelmed, out-of-character worry contorting his face as he glances back and forth between Ai, Jin, and Kusanagi-San. He can’t let them get taken; he watched Blood Shepherd and Spectre fall already, he couldn’t bear to see Kusanagi-San disappear.

 _But_ **_Ryoken_ ** _gave him this program._

He didn’t know why Lightning wanted the anti-Ignis program, nor how he even knew they had one. Neither Yusaku nor Ai had noticed any sort of attempted attack; was the program simply that good?

_He didn’t want to give up Ryoken’s second gift to him._

His first, of course, was the three things mantra; “By thinking, you can still live.” And live he shall, _with Ryoken._

Giving up his second gift felt a little too much like giving up Ryoken. He’s completely torn, torn between losing Kusanagi-San, or the one who saved him.

 _Don’t be stupid, it’s their_ **_lives_ ** _or some code. Just give it up._

Yet Yusaku felt sick just thinking of it, of leaving _Ryoken_ , of abandoning the only hope he dared hold on to for ten years—a happy future with the Voice that saved him.

He’s getting nowhere, he realizes, willing away the beginnings of tears in his eyes. So instead, he removes the ring—the protection program (“Don’t do it, _Yuu_ —Playmaker!”), hands steadier than he expected them to be, and throws it towards Lightning. Jin catches it with ease, and immediately crushes it between his fingertips. At the same time, Lightning lifts off of his perch on Jin’s shoulder—he blinks in sudden awareness, stumbling a little before disappearing into blue pixels.

“ _JIN!!”_

“Don’t worry,” Lightning says, arms crossed. “I logged him out. He should be waking up soon.”

Yusaku barely has time to register Kusanagi-San’s relief before he, too, disappears into blue.

“As for _you._ ”

Suddenly, Ai is ripped out of his duel disk, and harsh wind blows from behind them. Yusaku covers his face in instinct, but snaps his head up again when he feels a searing pain in his chest.

Ai is doubled over, Lightning’s fist going through his stomach.

He can only stare in growing panic as Ai fades into yellow, weakly calling to him (“Play...maker…sama…”), reaching out, and he swears he sees tears in his pleading, fearful eyes—

Until suddenly everything is empty. As Ai disappears, so does his connection with the network. It’s a gaping void in his senses, a sudden loss that has him falling to his knees, blurring his vision—

No, he’s _crying_. He feels so _empty_ , feels no emotion, feels no heartbeat from Cyberse—there’s nothing, _nothing_ anymore.

 _“Does that mean,”_ Ai’s words from earlier echo in his head, _“I’m a part of you?”_

 _“No.”_ He’d said immediately. He wasn’t sure why he denied it anymore—of course Ai was part of him. A _big_ part of him. Ai was annoying at times, sure, but he’d always felt strangely drawn to him and his rambles. Occasionally he’d wonder if that was what he would have been like, had the Lost Incident never happened. Childish, but _pure_. No matter what happened, Ai kept his playful personality.

He didn’t realize just how much he had relied on that as an anchor.

So he just sits there, shaking arm outstretched (was he reaching for Ai?), tears streaming down his face as Lightning floats towards him, laying its hand against his forehead.

_I’m sorry, Ai._


	2. Possession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lightning’s true intentions make themselves known.

He feels  _ powerful _ as he absorbs Ai’s data, like he’s capable of so much more than he could have done before.

Letting go of Kusanagi Jin was perhaps not the smartest move, but it was well worth it when his greatest prize lay on its knees right in front of him.

He’d  _ broken _ Playmaker, it would seem. His eyes were desperate, unseeing; his right arm was outstretched, shaking violently, in a hopeless effort to reach Ai. Tears fell freely down his face—it was  _ beautiful _ , in a twisted sense, seeing his greatest enemy so utterly broken before him.

He strides towards Playmaker; he expected some sort of explosive rage, but he doesn’t react at all. Even as he places his hand against Playmaker’s forehead, he gets no reaction.

This may just be better than he had planned.

Playmaker’s eyes widen, just a little, hand dropping back to his side as Lightning—he’d gotten used to the name, it seems—took over his mind. He had intended to break his walls to make this process easier, but there’s practically no resistance; Playmaker’s broken, reeling mind accepts him immediately. Had he broken his very  _ foundation _ ? The thought almost makes him laugh—Playmaker seemed so tough, but the moment he loses his Partner, he falls apart at the seams. It’d be sad, if he cared.

So he lays down his own, barebones foundation, deciding he didn’t need to really push obedience; his mind would easily follow any order he gave. 

He allows Playmaker to build the rest—all he needed was done.

Oh, not quite. With a nudge at the data, Playmaker’s outfit shifts into something more befitting of his current role, similar to Bohman. He changes his duel disk and adds a little star in his pink bangs, deciding to stake his claim  _ completely _ .

“Now wake up, Playmaker.”

He stands, tall and aware. That familiar determined gaze remained, but he knew Playmaker was under his control.

“ _ Hey,  _ Lightning _ -sama _ !!! Didjya need me? Huh? Huh?!” Playmaker’s new behavior is almost obnoxious, with exaggerated and quite  _ expressive _ body language and a playful tone in his voice.

If he could consider Playmaker as male anymore.

Yet, he  _ laughs _ , harder once he registers Playmaker’s confused face, head titled to the side. This,  _ this _ is perfect. This is  _ far _ better than he had planned.

He takes a moment to collect himself before situating himself on Playmaker’s new duel disk. “Yes, I did,” he says, changing Playmaker’s outfit into something more  _ fitting _ of his personality—he keeps the skin suit design, but removes the fabric over his shoulders and thighs, giving him a little dangling star earring as the metaphorical cherry. “I need you to eliminate Revolver.”

“ _ Haaaaaaaaai~!” _ Playmaker salutes with a huge grin on “his” face before they move on to their destination, vanishing in blue. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Design from screw000 on twitter! Here’s the link:  
> https://twitter.com/screw000/status/1091759458986782720?s=19

**Author's Note:**

> Also, this was written with the idea that Ryoken’s protection program appears as a ring on Playmaker’s avatar, right where a wedding ring would go.  
> Yes, I recognize this is not canon. No, I don’t care. My shipping heart will LIVE.


End file.
